Tan Kin Lian on his alliance with opposition figures, social media posts and family's disapproval

AsiaOne

Tan Kin Lian's second bid for the presidency 12 years on has taken a very different complexion. How did this happen and what has not changed?

Transcript

00:00 So I would like people to know that I've played my duty to Singapore, to stand up for the

00:07 people, to voice their aspirations.

00:11 That's what I hope that people will remember me by.

00:14 [Music]

00:33 I'm quite encouraged by the feedback I get from the ground.

00:40 I believe that I have very good support from the people who like my idea that there should

00:50 be an independent president.

00:52 So I'm very encouraged.

00:54 The most memorable moment would be when I was at Geylang Serai market.

00:59 And Geylang Serai, you know, is largely Malay.

01:02 But I find the Malay are very warm people.

01:05 They welcome me a lot, so I feel very happy to be accepted and welcomed by them.

01:14 And my wife was very well received.

01:17 She wore green because she knows that the Malay like green.

01:21 The picture I find very touching was when she hugged an elderly Malay woman.

01:27 That was very, very touching.

01:33 My family initially discouraged me.

01:37 I would even say opposed my participation.

01:40 I also faced a difficult time because I would be much better off having a retired life,

01:49 the freedom to live as an ordinary person.

01:53 But I came in because some of my friends say it is my duty to make myself available.

02:00 They say, "You are among the very few people who qualify, who is independent.

02:06 If you don't come in, then there's no chance of giving people a choice of an independent

02:11 president."

02:12 So there was actually, there was a bit of a conflict.

02:16 Finally I have decided to take part, to give people that choice.

02:26 I do not agree with Mr Ng Kok Song.

02:30 These two gentlemen like the idea that Singapore needs an independent president, and that's

02:37 why they are supporting me.

02:39 Of course Tan Ji Hsieh supported earlier, and Dr Chan Cheng Wok came only recently.

02:45 So their key motivation is Singapore needs to have an independent president.

02:54 Now they are not supporting me as part of a political party.

02:57 They are coming in in their personal capacity.

03:00 I will be acting in my own judgment.

03:06 All my life I make a decision, but I make decision after receiving advice from people

03:13 who knows the subject.

03:14 So certainly I will take their advice as well as other people's advice.

03:19 But I make a final decision, and my decision would be, "Is this good for the people of

03:25 Singapore?"

03:26 I'm very comfortable in making that decision.

03:34 I didn't think about deleting those posts because I think that would be not authentic,

03:43 not genuine.

03:44 And I think I might have offended some of the women, and even some of the Indians with

03:50 these posts, and I want to extend to them my sincere apologies.

03:54 They were not meant to be offensive.

03:56 They were actually meant to be very light-hearted.

03:58 But of course some of the people were offended.

04:03 Again, please accept my apologies.

04:10 Now I want to give recognition to the large numbers of women who are homemakers.

04:19 And the homemakers play a very important role.

04:23 Certainly in my case, my wife raised three children, and she took care of their education

04:30 and also took care of their extracurricular activities.

04:36 Now she's helping to look after five grandchildren.

04:41 My wife also looked after my parents when they were alive, and she also looked after

04:46 her parents when they were alive.

04:48 So homemakers have a very important role.

04:51 When my wife accompanied me on international travel, when I was on the board of an international

04:56 organisation, she was very well accepted.

05:00 Success is not just on professional work.

05:06 Success is also on looking after a family.

05:14 There's no chance I will lose my deposit, but if I lose, I do have to spend quite a

05:22 bit of money on the campaign materials and other things.

05:26 I think it should be close to $100,000, but I think the other candidates' expenditure

05:37 will be higher than mine.

05:39 So I do control my expenditure quite carefully.

05:48 Many people already say, "Mr Tan, thank you for standing up for the people.

05:55 I will give you the support."

05:57 So I would like people to know that I've played my duty to Singapore, to stand up for

06:05 the people, to voice their aspirations.

06:09 That's what I hope that people will remember me by.

06:12 There will be some people who don't feel that way, but I think the majority will.

06:16 They either support me, or even if they don't support me, they will know that my intention

06:23 is not for myself.

06:25 It is for other people.

06:26 [Music]

06:37 [Music]

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